Colombian Rebels Release 3 American Missionaries

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — Leftist guerrillas released unharmed three American missionaries who were kidnapped 33 days ago, the U.S. Embassy said today.

The three Americans were taken to a remote jungle site in eastern Colombia and turned over to delegates of a government-sponsored peace commission Wednesday night, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said.

The three were identified as Timothy Cain, 35, of Keokuk, Iowa; his wife, Bonnie ''Bunny'' Cain, 33, of Alexandria, Va.; and Steve Estelle, 34, of Douglas, Ariz. The missionaries represent the New Tribes Mission, based in Sanford, Fla.

''We've just about been ecstatic all day. We're so thankful to the Lord,'' said Mel Wyma, foreign secretary for the New Tribes Mission.

Wyma said he heard about the release shortly after Wednesday midnight and has been in constant contact with the missionaries' families since then.

He expects the missionaries to stop in Sanford sometime this

weekend or early next week.

The embassy spokesman said no ransom was paid and that the missionaries were being transferred today, possibly to Bogota.

The missionaries were kidnapped Oct. 5 by members of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces, or FARC.

New Tribes had sent a light plane piloted by Estelle and Paul Dye, 45, of Saginaw, Mich., to eastern Colombia to retrieve the Cains who became ill while doing mission work.